Heating prices will not go up before the end of the current regulatory period, energy minister Iva Petrova told parliament's energy committee.

Households that heat with natural gas will get compensation under a new €10m programme, which runs from November to March. The minister said there has been no such programme before, which is why the money is being set aside now.

More on this story: Government announces €2bn package over electricity prices

Petrova and deputy prime minister Alexander Pulev presented the €2bn package on Thursday, after meeting employers' groups and trade unions. Petrova gave MPs more detail on it.

She said electricity and gas prices swing up and down. The compensation programmes guarantee the price of electricity for households and shield them to some extent from those swings.

Businesses and other non-household users will also get help. Energy-intensive firms will be able to cover up to 70% of their electricity costs with state aid, instead of the current 50%, under a scheme notified to the European Commission.